Structural toy



Feb. 16, 1937. R. D-ILINN, JRHY ET AL STRUCTURAL TOY Filed Jan. 15, 1936"Hill:

k INVENTOR Mg @Y WOR Patented Feb. 16, 1937 STRUCTURAL TOY Ritchie L.

Dunn, Jr., Piedmont, and Herman T.

Birr, Jr., Oakland, Calif.

Application January 15, 1936, Serial No. 59,244

6 Claims.

This invention relates to toys adapted to be assembled by the user, froma plurality of preformed, interfitting parts.

It is an object of the invention to provide a toy of the characterdescribed which is practical- 1y a replica of an actual structure, andwhich will, during the process of assembling, serve to acquaint theassembler with the actual sizes, and other characteristics of thestructure elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structural toy made upof cardboard which will be possessed of a maximum degree of rigiditywhen assembled.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a structural toy, ofthe character described, which may be quickly assembled and dismantledby small children.

The invention possesses other objects and valuable features, some ofwhich together with the foregoing, will be specifically set forth in thespecification hereunto annexed. It is to be understood that theinvention is not to be limited to the specific form thereof shown anddescribed a as other forms thereof may be employed within the scope ofthe appended claims.

The broader aspects of the invention may be seen upon reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the completely assembled toy.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,showing the lock for connecting the two sections of the toy.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of a complete section of the toy, showingthe parts thereof disassembled.

The toy, shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, represents a bridge of thesuspension type, representative of any of the major bridges of theUnited States, and is, in miniature, an exact scale replica of theactual structure represented. Since even a small scale model of any ofthese structures would, if constructed as a unit, be exceedingly long,we prefer to construct the toy of two or more sections 4 and 5, with ajoint, or joints, 6, therebetween.

As each of the bridges referred to above is practically symmetricalabout a point midway of its length, we have made each of the sections 4and 5 substantially alike, and in order to simplify the description,only one of the sections will be described in detail, since it isunderstood that the other section is similarly constructed.

Each section comprises a pair of side members I and 8, constructed ofcardboard or another similar material. Each side member has a straightlower edge 9 and an upper edge formed by opposed curves Ill and H risingto an apex l2. Perpendicularly with the edge 9, on a line passingthrough the apex, a score I3 is provided to permit folding of the sidemember, so as to decrease its length to permit packaging or storage, andspaced along the score are apertures l4 having divergent slits [5extending therefrom to provide, at one edge of each aperture, aresilient tab 6. The ends of each side member are provided with tabs I!each having formed in an edge thereof a V-shaped notch I8 provided atits bottom with a short slit l9. As will be evident, upon reference toFigures 1 and 3, the two side members may be jointed together byinterlocking the notches Ill-of the tabs l1, and the slits l9 will wedgein each other and securely hold the tabs together.

To provide support for the portions of the joined side members, betweenthe ends thereof, a cross member, generally indicated by the numeral 20,is provided comprising a sheet of material doubled upon itself about ascore 2| to provide a pair of flaps 22. Each flap has formed,

therein a rectangular aperture 23, whose lower edge 24 coincides inheight with the upper edge of the tabs [1, and along the sides of eachflap lugs are provided positioned at the same distances from the loweredge 26 of the flaps that the apertures l4 are positioned, with respectto the edge 9 of each side member. It will thus be seen that when thelugs 25 are each inserted in their related apertures [4 the two sidemembers will be joined together at a point intermediate their ends. Thevertical width of the lugs is made slightly in excess of that of theapertures and the former are undercut so that when they are engaged inthe apertures they will be locked therein. The resilient tabs l6 permitenlargement of the apertures when the wider tabs are being inserted orremoved therefrom.

Means are provided to afford both a floor for the toy and to provide forhorizontal bracing thereof. An insert, generally indicated by thenumeral 21, is provided, comprising a sheet of material having a pair ofparallel longitudinal scores 28, and bent to provide a top 29 havingdownturned marginal flanges 35. One end of the top is provided with anextension 3| and the other end thereof with a tongue 32 narrower thanthe top. The insert is mounted on the toy by placing the tongue 32 inthe apertures 23 of the cross member 20, and pushing downwardly on theopposite end of the insert until the extension 3| rests on the upperedges of the adjacent tabs IT. The flanges 30 will, of course, bepositioned adjacent the inner surfaces of the side members i and 8 withthe lower edge of each flange lying alongside of the edges 9 of the sidemembers.

A second insert 33 is provided, similar to the insert 2], comprising asheet of material having longitudinal scores 34 and bent to provide atop 35 having marginal flanges 36. One end of the top 35 is providedwith a tongue 37, similar to the tongue 32, but the other end of theinsert instead of being provided with an extension, similar to theextension 3| of the insert 21, is provided with slits 38 in theflanges-36. The second insert is mounted on the toy by placing thetongue 31 in the cross member apertures- 23 and pushing downwardly onthe opposite end of the insert until the joined tabs I? enter theslits;38; the flanges 36 thenbeing positioned between the inner surfacesof the side members land 8xwith their lower'edges alongside the edges 9of the latter. It will be thus seen that the inserts, when imposition,afford horizontal stability to the toy by preventing relative parallelmovement of the side members, besides providing afloor for the toy. Thetongues 32 and 31, the extension 3| and the portion of the top 35 of theinsert 33,- extending outwardly beyond the slits 38, afford support forthe tops of each insert by virtue of the factthat they are resting onthe joined flaps I1 and the lower edge M'of'each cross member aperture23 respectively. This support of the insert tops prevents sagging of thelatter.-

' The construction of the end of the insert 33 adjacent the slits :38provides means forjoining and securing the two sections 4 and 5 of thetoy together. Referring to Figure 2 it'will be seen that by placingthetsections end to end with the joined flaps H thereof in contiguousrelationship the adjacent end of the insert 33 may be pushed intoplace-so that the slits 38 thereof will engage the flaps whereupon thesections will be coupled together and will resist separation as long asone of the sections is ,not moved vertically with respectto the othersection.

As isshown in' Figure 1 it will be seen that it is contemplated to.print on the surfaces of the side members pictorial representations ofthe various elements of the bridge structure such'as the towers 39, theroadway 40, ,thecables M, the Suspender ropes 42, and any other elementswhich -would be of educational interest to the constructor. The surfacesof the cross members 22 are also printed to represent the bracing ar-,rangement 43 of the towers. In addition to the pictorial representationof the'bridge, it is also contemplated to print, on the surfaces of theside" and cross, members, legends 44 containing statisticaldata:relative tothe structure such as the heights of .thetowersy. thelengths of the spans, the amounts of the various materials needed toconstruct the parts, and any other information of interest.

Inconclusion it will be seen that we have provided a toy which may bereadily assembled by even small children, since there are only a fewsimple joints to make; which is rigid and will therefore withstand roughusage; which educates the constructor, by being in miniature an accuratescale representation of the original structure; and which may beproduced to sell at an extremely reasonable price.

We claim:

1. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to ascale outline of an actual existing bridge, said sheets having printedthereon a representation of portions of said bridge according to saidscale, means representative of towers of said bridge engageable withportions of said sheets of material for maintaining said sheets inspaced relationship, and means for, connecting other portions of saidsheets of material together to provide a self-supporting structure.

2. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to ascale outline of an actual existing bridge, said sheets having printedthereon a representation of portions of said bridge according to saidscale, means representative of towers of said bridge engageable withportions of said sheets of material for maintaining said sheets inspaced relationship, means for connecting other portions of said sheetsof material together toprovide a self-supporting structure, and meansengaging said sheets and said tower representing means for preventingrelative longitudinal movement between said sheets.

3. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to ascale outline of an actual existing bridge, each of said sheets havingprinted thereon a representation of a portion of said bridge accordingto said scale and having spaced tabs extending therefrom engageable withcorresponding tabs of another sheet to secure said sheets together toform a self-supporting structure, a strip of material joined with saidsheets between said tabs thereof, and having printed thereon arepresentation of the tower portion of said actual bridge, and portionsof sheet material engageable with said strip of material and said sheetsadjacent the joined tabs thereof to-provide a floor for said bridgestructure.

4. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to ascale outline of an actual existing bridge, each of said sheets havingprinted thereon a representation of a portion of said bridge accordingto said scale and having spaced tabs extending therefrom engageable withcorresponding tabs of another sheet to secure said sheets together toform a self-supporting structure, said sheets also having spacedapertures therein, a strip of material having an aperture therein and.lugs extending therefrom engageable with the apertures of said sheets,and portions of sheet material having tongues formed at one end thereofengageable with the aperture of said strip and an extension at the otherend thereof engageable with said joined tabs.

5. A toy bridge structure comprising sheets of material pre-formed to ascale outline of an actual existing bridge, each of said sheets havingprinted thereon a representation of a portion of said bridge accordingto said scale and having spaced tabs extending therefrom engageable withcorresponding tabs of another sheet to secure said sheets together toform a self-supporting structure, said sheets also having spacedapertures therein, a strip of material having an aperture therein andlugs extending therefrom engageable with the apertures of said sheets,and portions of sheet material having tongues formed at one end thereofengageable with the aperture of said strip, and extension at the otherend thereof engageable with said joined tabs, and marginal flangesoverlying a portion of the surface of each of said sheets.

6.-.A toy bridge structure composed of a plurality of separate unitseach comprising sheets of material preformed to a scale outline of anactual existing bridge, said sheets having printed thereon arepresentation of portions of said bridge according to said scale andhaving spaced tabs extending therefrom engageable with correspondingtabs of another sheet to secure said sheets together to form aself-supporting structure, said sheets also having spaced aperturestherein, a

10 strip of material having an aperture therein and lugs extendingtherefrom engageable with the apertures of said sheets, and portions ofsheet material having tongues formed at one end thereof engageable withthe aperture of said strip, one of said portions having at the endthereof opposite said tongue an extension engageable with said joinedtabs, and the other of said portions having therein at the end thereofopposite said tongue a slot adapted to receive the joined tabs of itsown unit and the joined tabs of another unit to secure said unitstogether.

RITCHIE L, DUNN, JR. HERMAN T. BIRR, JR.

